A system for sorting and distributing products typically includes a carrier device on which a tray is located. Individual parcels loaded onto the tray are then transported to their destination via appropriate movement of the carrier throughout the sorting and distribution network. However, difficulties arise when the package or parcel is too big to fit on a single tray. When this happens, the package can extend beyond the boundaries of the designated platform area on the tray, overhanging one or more of the tray edges. This situation can lead to problems when the ray tilts to discharge the package. Moreover, an oversized parcel can interfere with other system functionalities as the carrier conveys the parcel. For example, the packages typically pass through a sensor station. However, an oversized package may occupy the needed clearance space between the parcel and the sensor elements. One way to address this problem may be to enlarge the platform area, although this solution has the drawback of needing to build customized trays to fit the expected size of the parcel.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an innovation that will overcome the limitations of such conventional sortation systems and the associated problems that remain unsolved.